"Future of electric vehicles is…": What PM Narendra Modi said at Maruti event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi believes that India is well poised to embrace electric vehicle (EV) technology and that the future of battery-powered vehicles here is bright. Speaking at a program which marked 40 years of Suzuki in India, PM Modi the entire EV ecosystem in the country is taking the right steps towards gaining larger acceptance.

PM Modi pointed to the numerous incentives that are being offered to encourage people at large to adopt EVs while steps like de-cluttering the loan application process and allowing for income tax rebates would further encourage buyers to turn to EVs. “It is a certainty that with the strengthening of supply, demand and ecosystem, the EV sector is going to progress," he said. “To boost the supply, work is also being carried out at a fast pace to introduce PLI schemes in automobile and automobile components manufacturing."

India is taking gradual but sure-footed steps to take EVs to more and more people across the country. While the largest thrust for such vehicles is coming from the two and three-wheeler segments, even car manufacturers are now either bringing in models or revealing plans of introducing these in the near future. Experts believe that with the right incentives, the upfront purchase cost will come down because battery-technology development will also ease its price. And as far as range-related issues are concerned, several steps are being taken to improve support infrastructure for EVs. “A battery swapping policy has also been introduced in the 2022 Financial Budget," PM Modi reminded.

While PM Modi lauded the contribution of Maruti Suzuki to the Indian automotive sector and especially mentioned its work towards biofuel, ethanol blending, and hybrid electric vehicles, he suggested work towards having compressed biomethane gas as an option as well.

At present, Maruti Suzuki offers petrol and CNG-powered vehicles. Some of its vehicles also have mild-hybrid technology while the Grand Vitara will be its first model with strong-hybrid technology when it launches next month.